I'm a few days late on this but wanted to post on Bryan Singer signing to direct and produce a sequel to last summer's "Superman Returns." Singer is the openly gay director who helmed the first two "X-Men" movies. Daily Variety reported this week that the movie is being targeted for a summer 2009 release. Warner Bros. has an option on star Brandon Routh but no cast has been announced, script written or budget set.
"Superman Returns" had a hefty production budget of $209 million, not counting the estimated $40 million in development costs as well as marketing and publicity costs.
But the film did manage to revive a franchise that last flew in the early 1980s with the late Christopher Reeve in the title role. "Superman Returns" just crossed the $200 million mark in domestic box office receipts last week and made an additional $190 million in foreign grosses.